Goddard Prize awarded
The Canadian Islamic Congress awarded the Captain Nichola Goddard Scholarship to Fatima Ahmed at its Gala dinner in Ottawa on October 29. The award, named for Goddard, the first Canadian woman soldier killed in Afghanistan, is worth $3,000. It is given to an undergraduate student studying in a field related to peace and...Nasr speaks of art
Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University, spoke in Ottawa, one stop in his presentations for Islamic History Month in Canada. His topic was "Islamic Architecture, Science, Art, and Spirituality." Nasr said that sacred art is the heart of religion. Theology is secondary. Thus,...New leadership and new direction
Dr. Zijad Delic came on board with the Canadian Islamic Congress as Executive Director last November, and his presence has entailed a definite shift in perspective. The hiring of an Executive Director gave the Congress the ability to do more "on the ground" with Muslims and in reaching out to the wider Canadian society. He...Islamic art discussed
The Canadian Islamic Congress has been successful in having cities across the country declare October as Islamic History Month. Crowning the effort was a similar declaration by the House of Commons. Some 80 events in celebration have been held across Canada. In one event in Ottawa, Dr. Zijad Delic showed a film about the...Few candidates attend leadership meet
DEARBORN — The importance of the Arab American voice was the recurring topic during day one of the Arab American Institute (AAI)'s National Leadership Conference, on Friday, October 25. The issue was reinforced by several key leaders throughout the many panels, forums and discussions that took place throughout the day. At the...Arar gets his day in U.S. Congress via satellite
Maher Arar testified before a joint hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives foreign affairs and judiciary committees on October 18, in spite of the fact that he is not allowed into the country. Videoconferencing to the rescue. The hearing dealt with extraordinary rendition. Participating members of the House fell over one another...
AAPAC celebrates 10 years of political work
October 28th, 20070 DEARBORN — After a decade of fighting to amplify the voices of Arab Americans on a local and national level, the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) is preparing for its 10th Annual Banquet on Nov. 2 at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center on Miller Rd in Dearborn. AAPAC has endorsed and opposed election candidates and ballot...Respected Bint Jebail mayor dies of cancer
BINT JEBAIL — Dr. Ali Bazzi, mayor of this southern Lebanon village which has thousands of former residents living in Dearborn, died of cancer in a local hospital here on Saturday, October 20. He was 65 years old. Dr. Bazzi was a medical physician, having graduated from medical school in the former Soviet Union with a specialty in...Workshop tackles misrepresentations of Islam, Arab culture
DEARBORN — With her dark good looks, Arab family structure and independent spirit, actress and comedienne Kathy Najimy — of theatre, movie and activist fame — has always been different. "At school other kids brought toys or hobbies in to show and tell," she quipped, in an address to a diversity conference here this week. "I brought in...Iraqis speak out against Biden amendment
Washington — Leaders of a newly-established umbrella organization called Iraqi Voices for Peace have spoken out forcefully against an amendment sponsored by U.S. Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) and approved by the Senate expressing support for the "soft partitioning" of Iraq along religious and sectarian lines. They are urging that the Biden...U.S. balks at Harkat request
The American government has refused a request by Mohamed Harkat's lawyer to interview Abu Zubaydah, a Guantanamo prisoner alleged to be a ranking member of al-Qaeda, whose allegations about Harkat have played a role in Harkat's precarious position. He is currently in virtual house arrest under strict bail conditions and threatened with...Men mistreated in Syria demand openness
When Justice Dennis O'Connor issued his report on the case of the mistreatment of Maher Arar in Syria, he also noted the existence of other cases that appeared to have some resemblance to that one, cases involving Ahmad El-Maati, Abdullah Almalki, and Muayyed Nureddin. In his report, O'Connor called for a separate inquiry into these...Montreal imam deported
Montreal Imam Saïd Jaziri, founder of Montreal's Al Qods Mosque, was deported from Canada on October 22. His resident status was cancelled in 2006 on grounds that he failed to reveal a criminal record from France when he applied for refugee status in 1997. At the same time, his Canadian wife was admitted to hospital, eight months...Mistrial declared in Holy Land case
Five defendants in the terrorism-financing trial of the Texas-based charity Holy Land Foundation were not convicted on any of nearly 200 charges when verdicts were read Monday. They were not acquitted of all charges either, but that didn't stop a crowd of supporters from celebrating outside the Dallas courtroom, hoisting attorney Greg...YABA to unveil renovated center
DEARBORN — The Western Union Company, a worldwide leader in money transfer services, has assisted the Yemeni American Benevolent Association (YABA) to renovate two classrooms at its community center in the Southend here. As part of its continuing efforts to give back to the communities it serves, Western Union sponsored a four-week......
Discrimination lawsuit filed against American Airlines
DETROIT — Six Michigan men, who in August were escorted off an American Airlines flight and then detained, filed a race discrimination lawsuit this week against the airline, saying the incident was a clear case of racial profiling, false imprisonment and a violation of civil rights. Filed in U.S. District Court by Allen Brothers PLLC...AAI, NNAAC conferences coincide
DEARBORN — This weekend, two major national networks are holding their annual conferences in Dearborn. One is an organization promoting electoral participation and greater Arab American involvement in the American political system. The other is a broad network of Arab community groups and service-providers. The participants from both......
Arabs get Ontario funding to improve communication
The National Council on Canada-Arab Relations has been funded by the Trillium Foundation, an organization of the Ontario government, to create a network of organizations to serve the Arab-Canadian community in the province. The work is to be completed by June, 2008. This network will facilitate communication among the groups and is...ADC honors ‘Guardians of Justice’
6th annual judges night The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) Michigan honored judges and their contribution to civil rights at its 6th Annual Judges Night Reception on Tuesday, October 16, at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center in Dearborn. Among the invited guests were distinguished judges, attorneys, community leaders,...State Department recruiting minorities
WASHINGTON — Representatives of the U.S. State Department, including ambassadors and other senior-level members, will be visiting Detroit in an effort to recruit more Arab Americans, African Americans, Latinos and other people of color. The Detroit event will be the 10th held in this series since the U.S. DoS and the Minority...
AAPAC makes election endorsements
October 20th, 20070 DEARBORN — Members of the Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) voted Monday to make endorsements for items on the Dearborn ballot in the upcoming Nov. 6 election. The group chose to support proposed revisions to the City Charter, to support giving permission to City Council to sell the Dearborn Towers in Florida, and to......
1001 events in Dearborn this week!
DEARBORN — An extraordinary number of events and conferences related to Arab Americans are scheduled in the Detroit area at the end of October and beginning of November. The Arab American Institute's National Leadership Conference, set for Oct. 25-28, at the Doubletree hotel in Dearborn, is expected to feature presidential...Diversity conference tackles misperceptions
DEARBORN — For the fifth year in a row, speakers and community members are gathering this week in Dearborn to address the "Images and Perceptions of Arab-Americans." This cultural workshop will tackle some of the community's most pressing needs, while providing much-needed education on topics such as discrimination, culture, and media......
Principal of Arabic school fights back
October 20th, 20070 NEW YORK — At 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 16, Debbie Almontaser appeared on the steps of the New York City Hall and responded publicly for the first time since she was victim of a torrent of anti-Arab, anti-Muslim racism. A Yemeni-American with an extensive record of educational and community work in Brooklyn, Almontaser was the founding...Regime change begins at home
Wesley Clark's new memoir casts more light on the Bush administration's secret strategies for regime change in Iran and elsewhere.While the Bush White House promotes the possibility of armed conflict with Iran, a tantalizing passage in Wesley Clark's new memoir suggests that another war is part of a long-planned Department of......